Ball boy accused of foul play

Scolari was accused of encouraging ball-boy foul play

A Brazilian ball boy has been suspended for 60 days for taking too much time retrieving the ball.

Lucas Santana, 15, was accused by a disciplinary tribunal on Tuesday of deliberating when his team, Santos, were winning.

Santana was reported by the referee in charge of the game between Santos and Sao Paulo in the Brazilian championship at the start of October.

Santos, who as the home team supplied the ball boys, won the match 1-0.

Lethargic

Ball boys have long been a source of controversy in Brazilian football.

Complaints that they suddenly become lethargic if the home team is winning are nothing new.

Brazil coach Luiz Felipe Scolari was frequently accused of ordering them to throw spare balls onto the field to disrupt visiting teams' attacks when he was in charge of Palmeiras.

Some clubs have even been accused of disguising security men as ball boys and using them to provoke and start fights with visiting players.